Homemade sphere tool?

steelcityuk · Post by **steelcityuk** » 11 Dec 2006, 11:32

Hi,

Has anyone seen anything like this for sale?

Having a look around the Flickr site reveals some interesting photos.

Steve.

steelcityuk · Post by **steelcityuk** » 11 Dec 2006, 11:46

What I plonker, under the picture it says Pleiades tool!

citronut · Post by **citronut** » 11 Dec 2006, 13:38

you have answerd your own question,they are a very good tool ,i have got one and also a 30cm stanley pipe chain wrench,which i have had for years,the chain wrench i usualy use a 2 foot length of tube on to give a bit more leverage
regards malcolm

swiss_steve · Post by **swiss_steve** » 11 Dec 2006, 13:44

Pleiades:-

http://www.citroen-hydraulics.com

DoubleChevron · Post by **DoubleChevron** » 13 Dec 2006, 06:00

-------, look at the rust under the arse end of that Xantia ... Let me guess ... UK ?

I just use a home made strap wrench ... hasn't failed yet. All I did was lop a bit of metal off the end of a star picket, weld it into a big socket and bolt some seat belt strapping to it... Then I just use by big breakers bar on the socket to break the really tough spheres..... Or the air chisel on the sphere radias

seeya,
Shane L.

Mandrake · Post by **Mandrake** » 13 Dec 2006, 09:05

DoubleChevron wrote:-------, look at the rust under the arse end of that Xantia ... Let me guess ... UK ?

Nice try Shane you got the UK bit right but the Xantia bit wrong

It's actually an XM.... but yikes, look at that rust... on the previous picture the rollbar and height corrector rollbar clamp are completely rusted together!

I just use a home made strap wrench ... hasn't failed yet. All I did was lop a bit of metal off the end of a star picket, weld it into a big socket and bolt some seat belt strapping to it... Then I just use by big breakers bar on the socket to break the really tough spheres..... Or the air chisel on the sphere radias

And I just use a truck oil filter self tightening band wrench, and it's never failed me yet, with a little bit of persuasion from a 2lb block hammer!

But we have it easy down this end of the earth where Citroen's don't rust away into nothing in no time flat

Regards,
Simon

Post by **Peter.N.** » 13 Dec 2006, 12:47

There are two of those tools for sale on ebay at the moment.

DoubleChevron · Post by **DoubleChevron** » 14 Dec 2006, 03:38

You don't need to spend big $$$ for one of those tools... I reckon you could easily make one up from some scraps of metal for next to nothing. If you don't have a welder just bolt it together... All that's required is a bit of box section, and a bit of metal strapping. You'd need to make 3 seperate tools by the look of that. GS, CX and DS sized spheres

seeya,
Shane L.

stevenlizuk · Post by **stevenlizuk** » 14 Dec 2006, 10:08

I made my own tool using a length of motorbike chain and a set of mole-grips.
Works a treat, but the jaws of the moleys were an effort to drill the holes in.

Just get a length of chain about an inch less than the circumference of the sphere and bolt either end of it to the jaws of the moleys.

When you tighten the jaws of the moleys it tightens the chain around the sphere and gives you a reasonable sized handle to get leveredge with.

Cheers

Steve

uhn113x · Post by **uhn113x** » 14 Dec 2006, 19:43

The one in the original post - it won't work!

There is nothing to stop the bit of square tube from twisting the strap.

If you look at the Pleiades ones, there is a torque stay for this.

The one I made from scrap embodies that principle, and has never failed yet. 8)

slim123 · Post by **slim123** » 14 Dec 2006, 20:16

The one in the original post will work, as looking at it, it has the same sticker as mine used to have years ago, a Pleiades sticker, but the chap using it is doing so backwards, (so you cannot see the stay) thus pushing on the stay rather than pulling on it, this method may well work in an akward place but it is not a good idea as it could well break the tool.

I have had one of these Pleiades band wrenches for years and must have removed hundreds of spheres with it. Yes I could have made my own as I have a welder etc, but with what these are sold for it just aint worth the hassle!

Try removing a CX front sphere with a chain, it wont do it as there is not enough room to get down behind it. This tool will remove all except DS and C5 spheres, although I belive that Pleiades have now made a bigger wrench for the C5 spheres.

Regards
Slim.

citroenxm · Post by **citroenxm** » 14 Dec 2006, 20:22

Peter.N. wrote:There are two of those tools for sale on ebay at the moment.

Peter

Weres the second one?? Can only find one at £22 odd quid!

I could do with a new one as mine has fallen to bits, probably due to, as mentioned else were in this thred, useing it the "wrong way" too often!

Regards
citroenxm

AndersDK · Post by **AndersDK** » 14 Dec 2006, 21:39

DoubleChevron wrote:-------, look at the rust under the arse end of that Xantia ... Let me guess ... UK ?

I just use a home made strap wrench ... hasn't failed yet. All I did was lop a bit of metal off the end of a star picket, weld it into a big socket and bolt some seat belt strapping to it... Then I just use by big breakers bar on the socket to break the really tough spheres..... Or the air chisel on the sphere radias

seeya,
Shane L.

Thats not rust - just some light road paint

If you want to see rust - come see cars in DK

Oh BTW - cleaned up your submission a bit. We have zero tolerance on bad language on this forum.

Post by **Peter.N.** » 14 Dec 2006, 22:09

Hi citroenxm

I have just had a look and your right, I think the other one must have run out yesterday, but it was up around the same price. It didn't say it was pleiades but looked very similar.

slim123 · Post by **slim123** » 15 Dec 2006, 17:57

I see that the bidding has gone mad on the ebay wrench, currently £41, dont the fools realise that you can get them direct from Pleiades for £35.

I spoke to Martin at Pleiades today and suggested that perhaps he could make more profit by putting them on ebay!!!

It's a mad mad world on ebay

Regards
Slim.